Primary links
The journey of the jean, from fabric mills through the hands of cutters and sewers to the chemical baths of laundries, takes its toll on both workers and the environment.
In December 2006, War on Want published an exposé on the wages and working conditions of the garment workers in Bangladesh who produce clothes for some of the UK’s most important discount retailers.
This excellent reader by SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations) profiles five major US based-multinationals that source garment and apparel products from companies on the African continent. It includes information on the labels, corporate sourcing strategy and recent labour rights violations.
A report on the effects of free trade and the restructuring jean industry on workers, indigenous communities and the environment in the Tehuacan Valley, Mexico. Calls for local action and international solidarity, and cautions against extending the Tehuacan economic model to southern Mexico and Central America through the Plan Puebla-Panama. Also available in Spanish. PDF File
A revealing look at the impacts of free trade on the lives of maquiladora workers who make Gildan T-shirts in Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador. Offers concrete recommendations to the company and stakeholders on ways to improve working conditions and labour practices.
A Needle in a Haystack examines Canadian investment and sourcing practices in the garment assembly-for-export industry in Mexico and Central America, and labour practices and working conditions in those factories. This report includes case studies on two Canadian manufacturers -- Nygard International and Gildan Activewear; country labour "vignettes" for Canadian homeworkers and maquila garment-for-export workers in Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico; and corporate profiles of prominent Canadian retailers and manufacturers.
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